Mario
| image = | caption = Australian Wii box art | developer = Sega Sports R&D Racjin | publisher = | director = Eigo Kasahara (Wii) Koji Shindo (3DS) | producer = Osamu Ohashi Nobuya Ohashi Hiroshi Sato | composer = | programmer = Mitsuru Takahashi (Wii) Kouichi Nomura (3DS) | artist = Hiroshi Kanazawa (Wii) Hitoshi Furukubo (3DS) | series = Mario & Sonic | platforms = Wii, Nintendo 3DS | released = Wii Nintendo 3DS Nintendo eShop | genre = Sports, party | modes = Single-player, multiplayer }} ソニック ロンドンオリンピック|Mario ando Sonikku atto Rondon Orinpikku|lit. 'Mario & Sonic at the London Olympics'|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} is a 2011 sports and party game developed by Sega Japan. As with the previous two ''Mario & Sonic titles, it was published by Nintendo in Japan and by Sega in all other regions. The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through exclusive licensee International Sports Multimedia. It is the third installment in the Mario & Sonic series after the commercial success of its predecessors and is an official video game of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. The game was released on the Wii on November 15, 2011 in North America, November 17, 2011 in Australia, November 18, 2011 in Europe, and December 8, 2011 in Japan. It was also released for the Nintendo 3DS in February 2012. The game is the first, and the only one to come in a yellow keep case instead of a standard white case, similar to how New Super Mario Bros. Wii was the only game to have a red keep case. The Wii version, like the original 2007 Olympic Games version, does not support the Balance Board; the 2009 Winter Olympics version does. Mario & Sonic on the Wii and 3DS is a collection of numerous events based on the Olympic Games. Players can assume the role of a Mario or Sonic character while competing against the others in these events. The game received mixed reviews from critics. Gameplay Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games is a collection of numerous events based on the Olympic Games. Mario & Sonic brings together the two title characters and eighteen more from both franchises to participate in environments based on the official venues of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The characters are divided into four categories: all-around, speed, power, and skill A recent interview revealed that the same characters are playable as the previous game, with more focus being put on the events and gameplay. Several Olympic events on the Wii, including football (soccer), badminton, and equestrian will debut alongside improved versions of previously existing events such as athletics, aquatics, and table tennis. The Wii game introduced new "Dream Events", which are alternate versions of Olympic events taking place in locations from older games of the Mario and Sonic series. The Wii version also introduces new cooperative mechanics and a Party mode. The 3DS version has 57 Olympic-based events in single-player and multiplayer. It also contains an exclusive "Story Mode" which entails the characters from Mario and Sonic's worlds working against the antagonists, who are trying to use fog machines to prevent the games from being held. Development The first game in the series, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, is the first official crossover title to feature characters from both Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog's franchises. The Olympic Games were chosen as a setting since Sega and Nintendo felt its competitive sportsmanship was ideal for the once-rival mascots Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario. Sonic the Hedgehog is the protagonist of the video game series released by Sega in order to provide the company with a mascot to rival Nintendo's flagship character Mario in the early 1990s. Sean Ratcliffe, vice president of marketing at Sega of America commented on whether the Mario & Sonic series had a future past its second installment, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. He said, "I think the key factor that decides the ongoing building of this franchise is basically success. Is the game successful? Are consumers happy with it?" A sequel was officially announced with a joint press release by Sega and Nintendo on April 21, 2011, after its predecessors sold over 19 million units combined. It is an official video game of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games and is licensed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through exclusive licensee International Sports Multimedia. Early in its software developmental stages, a peripheral was considered to launch alongside the game. Both versions were developed by Sega Sports Japan and are published by Nintendo for Japan and by Sega for North America, and Europe. According to gaming magazine CVG, over 100 people developed the game. It was released on the Wii on November 15, 2011 in North America, November 17, 2011 in Australia and New Zealand, November 18, 2011 in Europe and December 8, 2011 in Japan; and was released on the Nintendo 3DS handheld system in February 2012 in North America and PAL Regions and March 2012 in Japan. A demo of the 3DS version was made available for download on the Nintendo eShop on January 26, 2012. Nintendo re-released the Nintendo 3DS version of the game as a downloadable title via Nintendo eShop, available on November 1, 2012 in Japan, on May 30, 2013 in the PAL regions, and on June 20, 2013 in North America. It was later removed from the eShop in all regions. Music Both versions of the game feature various musical tracks from the Mario and Sonic series arranged by various members of Sega's Sega Digital Studio group. Original music was written for the game, with both versions mostly sharing the same soundtrack. Reception The game received mixed reception, with Metacritic giving the Wii version 66% and the 3DS version 60%. IGN gave the Wii version 7.5, stating "The only great parts of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games are the parts that have nothing to do with the Olympics. The new reality-ignoring Dream Events, the multiplayer London Party mode and the presentation of London itself are all wonderful here—pick up a copy of the game if one of those items catches your eye. But the actual sports? They're the same here as they were four years ago, and anyone who's already got a copy of the first Mario & Sonic Olympic game sitting on the shelf doesn't need to double-dip." They gave the 3DS version, which did not contain the "London Party" mode, a lower 6.5 score. Nintendo Power gave the 3DS version a 7. Sales The Wii version sold 2.4 million copies in North America and Europe in its first two months of release. Notes References External links * Category:2011 video games Category:2012 video games Category:2012 Summer Olympics Category:Mario & Sonic Category:Mario sports games Category:Nintendo 3DS games Category:Nintendo 3DS eShop games Category:Nintendo Network games Category:Crossover video games Category:Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection games Category:Olympic video games Category:Sega video games Category:Nintendo games Category:Sonic the Hedgehog video games Category:Video games developed in Japan Category:Video games set in the 2010s Category:Video games set in London Category:Video games set in the United Kingdom Category:Wii games Category:Wii Wi-Fi games Category:Video game sequels Category:Video games scored by Jun Senoue